View full sizeCrews searched the Columbia River near Mosier to locate a submerged pickup truck late Monday night. The body of seven-year-old Jacob Roy Arntson was found inside. The boy's father survived the crash. Oregon State Police

Oregon State Police troopers are continuing their investigation into a fatal New Year's Eve traffic crash near Mosier that killed a 7-year-old Clackamas boy.

Authorities say the crash happened around 4:20 p.m., when John G. Arntson, 40, of Clackamas, was driving a 2005 Toyota Tundra pickup westbound on I-84 near milepost 69 when he lost control on icy road conditions. The pickup crashed into a guardrail and continued over the railing down a rocky embankment into the Columbia River.

Arntson escaped the pickup but wasn't able to save his son, Jacob Roy Arntson.

The Arntson family released a statement thanking loved ones for their prayers and asking the media to let them to grieve in private.

"Dear friends, family, and all of you who have reached out to us in the Clackamas community and beyond. By now you might have heard that our beloved son and brother, Jacob Roy Arntson, died last night in a traffic accident east of Hood River. Jake was just 7 years old, but in those 7 years he brought so much light into our world and touched so many lives as a friend and classmate. He was a wonderful child, and we miss him so much.